Lightning-rod connecter



May 26, 1925. 1,538,946

l. M. MOORE LIGHTNING ROD CONNECTER Filed June ,16, 1922 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES IRA M. MOORE, or HAMBURG, new YORK.

LIGHTNING-ROD CONNECTER.

Application filed June 16, 1922. Serial No, 568,719.

To all whom it may concern:

ie it known that I, IRA M. Moons, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hamburg, in the county of Erie and State of New York. have invented new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Rod Connecters, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates generally to lightning conductors but more particularly to the connecters for joining the lightning rod with the ground or conductor cable which extends along the roof of the building.

Its chief object is to provide a connector of this character which will produce a strong, perfect and extensive contact with the conductor cable and the lightning rod to insure conducting the lightning to the ground.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive lightning rod connector which is free from separate fastenings and which can be readily installed.

In the. accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of one form of the improvement applied to a conductor cable. Figure 2 is an end view thereof. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3-3, Fi 1. liigure 4 is a plan view of the blank from which said connecter is formed. Figure 5 is a 1")GI'SPGCiZlVQ view of a modified form of the invention. Figure 6 is'a plan view oi the blank for making said modification.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In both embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, 10 indicates the.

lightning rod which is preferably of tubulair term and pointed at its upper end, as usual, and ll the ground or conductor cable fastened at suitable intervals, along the root and consisting of copper or similar material capable of carrying ofl. atmospheric the conductor cable, side portions or legs lii converging upwardly from the ends oi the base portion, and a stem or neck projecting upwardly from the point of intersection of said side portions. The lower end of the lightning rod 10 is adapted to be telescoped over the stem 15. Each half 01. the body is approximately semi-circular in cross sec tion, so that when the two halves are folded together, a tubular structure is formed whose members are substantially circular in cross section. To reliably and firmly hold the half sections together along their side and base portions, lips or tongues 16, 16" are employed which project from the edges of one of said sections and are bent around the adjoining sides of the other section, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The neck sections of the frame are securely looked together by the slip joint produced by the tubular lightning rod fitting snugly over them. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the opposing edges of the frame members meet to "form a butt joint when folded together.

In the embodiment oi? the invention shown in Figs. 1- l, inclusive, the connecter body is provided on opposite sides with brace wings 17 for attaching the same to the roof of .a building. These wings are preferably formed integral with the body and are triangular in shape. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3. the base-tongue 16 is stamped out oi one oi? the brace-wings, and is passed through an opening 18 in the other b ace wing when the halves oi th connector are brought together.

The connector so far described is preferably formed from a flat blank of sheet metal, such as copper, of the shape shown in Fig. 4, or approximately so. This blank comprises a central cross portion 19 forming the, base portion of the connecter; diagonal oppositely disposed side portions 20 converging outwardly from the ends of said cross portion and adapted to form the side portions 14, and alined extensions 2i projecting from the meeting ends of said side portions and forming the stems 15 of the connector. EX- tending from the outer edges of the side portions on one side of the cross portions 19 are projections 22 adapted to form the side attaching tongues 16. The blank is provided on opposite sides of the cross portion with substantially V-sl1aped slits 23 which form the triangular brace wings '17, while a substantially U-shaped slit 24: cutinto the body of one of said wings forms the fastening .1 Oil tongue 16. A slot cut in the other wing forms the opening 18 through which said tongue 16 is adapted to pass.

The modification shown in Fig. 5, differs from the form first described in that the brace wings 17 are omitted. Otherwise. the two forms are identical. In the blank shown in F 6, from which this modified connecter is made, the material between the cross bar 19 and side bars 20 is cut out, leaving triangular openings 25. Extending from one edge of the cross bar 19 is a projection 26 adapted to form the base-tongue 16 of the connector.

This improved connecter, while simple and inexpensive in construction, insures a. tight, perfect and extensive contact with both the conductor cable and air terminals or lightning rods, affording perfect conductivity from the latter to the ground. Furthermore, as it encloses the cable on all sides, it leaves no objectionable air gaps between the connecter and the cable. The integral construction of the device moreover facilitates its installation.

To facilitate the folding of the device about the conductor cable. the metal of the base portion 13 is preferably weakened lengthwise along its bottom. for example by a longitudinal crease. or by a row of open ings 27 as shown in the drawings.-

1 claim as my invention:

1. A lightning rod conneeter, comprising a verti ally-divided foldable frame, including an approximately circular base-portion split lengthwise on its upper side and adapt ed to be folded about a conductor-cable, opposing side portions extending upwardly from the edges of said base-portion and each consisting of a pair of upwardly-converging leg-sections of semicircular cross section joined at their upper ends by a semi circular neck section, the opposing necK- sections and 1eg-scctions abutting against each other and forming neck and leg1nembers of circular cross section when the sides of said base-portion are closed against the conductor-cable. and means for securing said neck and leg sections together.

2. A lightning rod connecter, comprising a vcrtically-divided frame including a base portion adapted to be folded about a conductor cable, a head portion adapted to receive a lightning rod, brace wings formed integral with said base portion and extend ing from opposite sides thereof, and a tongue punched out of one of said brace wings and arranged to be bent around the base portion for drawing it tightly about the cable, the other brace having an opening to receive said tongue.

8. A lightning rod connecter stamped from a fiat sheet metal blank having substantially V-shaped slits located on opposite sides of its center portion, the resulting portions produced by said slits forming brace wings for the connector, and the sides bordering said slits forniing outwardly-converging side portions.

4. A lightnin'g rod connecter stan'iped from a flat sheet metal blank having substantially V-shaped slits located on opposite sides of its center portion. and a substantially U-shaped Slit located within the area bounded by one of said slits, the area within the other of the last-named slits having a slot, the resulting portions produced by said V-shaped slits forming brace wings for the connecter and the portion produced by said U-shaped slit forming a tongue adapted to engage said slot, the sides bordering said V-shape'd slits forming side portions, and tongues extending from the outer edges of a pair of said side portions.

IRA M. MOORE. 

